Objective: SWBAT show what they know about comparing and explaining equivalence using visual models of fractions and decimals.

Big Idea:
Students take their Fractions Pre-Test to show what they know about equivalent fractions and decimals. They also need to show what they know about comparing fractions, all using visual models and explanations.

I told my students that I was thinking of a number...see if they could figure out what number it is. I said: When I am divided by three, I am a dozen.

They got that one right away!

I continued: If you add six to me and subtract thirty you get two. What am I? It took a few minutes, but one of the high end kids raised his hand and said 26.

The last one had to do with factor pairs: I have four factor pairs. I also have factors that include 1-4. What number am I?

They popped up with 24 right away because I had said the day earlier that 24 has factor pairs that go sequentially from 1-4 ( 1x24, 2x12, 3x8, 4x6,)

I try to give them these types of little brain teasers from time to time, because it strengthens their math sense and challenges them to think about numbers in a different way while reviewing their standards. It supports Math Practice 1 & 2 as they solve problems and use their qualitative and quantitative reasoning skills.

I designed this assessment as the first of three sections. Studying fractions and decimals in small sections like this helps to break down the concepts in greater depth while keeping the focus clear.

The first part of this assessment addresses that they need to prove understanding through drawing a visual model of their equivalent fractions. We continue on with creating fractions from decimals and vice versa. There is explaining to do in the sections to help students get acclimated to explaining concepts, rather than just doing the work. The last problems ask the student to compare using > < =. There is the instruction that they must prove their work through a drawing or creating common denominators. That way, there is no guessing and the students must prove and show their thinking. This is one of the basic premises that follows through in the theme of CCSS.

I included a grid for keeping track of the standards/goals they had mastered on the pretest so that I could plan on instruction and individualize better.

Resources

I had copied and cut up this Eggsciting Review Resource Sheet and placed each strip inside empty plastic eggs. I placed the eggs in a basket. It is a colorful springtime math resource for them to go to at any time they have free time, but today, we used the basket to fill in time as people completed their pretests at different rates. It was engaging and kept students focused as well as served as a great spiral review.The problems in the eggs are review work from the beginning of the year through the metric unit. Basket of eggs.

When students were finished with their pre-test, I had instructed them to take an egg and get busy solving problems! I told them that they should show their work on a loose leaf note book paper, put the number down on the paper that was on the bottom of the egg and keep solving until all 21 were solved. However, I told them that I would be stopping by 1 o'clock and tallying who had the most answered correctly. They would win a prize from the prize box or get a freebie coupon from me.If all problems were solved, there were four bonus eggs on the tray of the whiteboard. They could take on of those and work on that until the end of the period. These four bonus eggs contained choices for iPad use. If you don't have an iPad, then perhaps there are some games they enjoy or just a free period to read or do a word search for fun. The bonus eggs are meant to be fun.

After I looked at each student's completed pre-test, I allowed them to start with selecting one egg. After about 25 minutes, all students were solving problems at their desks. Students worked right up to the end and I had to stop them. No one got through 21 problems yet!